


angels choking on their halos

by orphan_account



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-14 07:32:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4556073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>dumb oblivious thirteen year olds breaking into church on a friday afternoon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	angels choking on their halos

**Author's Note:**

> i was listening to roman holiday and this happened  
> just a little drabble bc i need to go to bed
> 
> title from just one yesterday by fall out boy bc it's my jam  
> enjoy!!

“we shouldn’t be here, tyler!”

josh’s voice is squeaky and high-pitched as he follows behind, tripping over his feet as he stumbles up the steps of the church laid out in front of them.

tyler’s eyes are wide and filled to the brim with excitement as he lays a hand on the great wooden doors; he sneaks a shy glance behind him at josh’s flushed pink cheeks, face terrified as his eyes dart around, looking for anyone who might be hiding around a corner, out to bust them.

“come on, we won’t be long,” tyler laughs, breathless, swooping back into his former position as he pushes the doors open, the musty air of the church hitting his nostrils as he breathes it all in, staring down a dim, narrow corridor.

he rushes inside, turning on his heel to open the door wide for josh, beckoning him inside. “come on!” he urges, eyes bright as they dance over his best friend’s face, sharp teeth poking over his bottom lip, half nervous but all bright, unbridled excitement, fireworks alight in his stomach.

“tyler, i’m never gonna be able to see you again if we get caught,” josh whines, timidly stepping into the threshold after tyler; he pauses in the door, peering around his shoulder, squeaking when tyler’s slender, skeletal fingers wrap around his wrist. the touch alone sets his skin aflame as he focuses on tyler’s face, stomach a mess of nerves as he meets his gaze, hesitant.

“let’s not get caught, then,” tyler whispers, voice suddenly hush. he gives josh the most reassuring smile he can muster while his mind is a whirlwind of bouncing energy; he tugs back, dragging josh into the darkness of the church. the door slams behind their frames, and josh gasps slightly, shaking with nerves, as the wind whistles behind him, sucked out into the closed door.

he’s surrounded in familiarity, as this is the church he goes to every sunday with tyler and his family, but the air is thinner and carries a weird scent. he plants his feet firmly in place, watching tyler dance down the middle of the stacks of pews, giggling to himself because they’re only thirteen, and this is the most dangerous, biggest thing they’ve ever done.

the sound floats down the darkness of the corridor, straight to josh’s ears; a timid smile graces his face as he moves himself along, following tyler as he dances in the dark, spinning and whirling and laughing.

“you’re really pretty,” josh whispers, half to himself, eyes widening as the words spill out of his mouth. he isn’t supposed to say things like that, especially not to tyler, his best friend, a _boy_ –

tyler snorts, pausing mid-twirl, halfway down the row. “thanks,” he chirps, after a brief period of thought, continuing his awkward deformity of dancing. “you’re not half bad yourself, dude.”

josh goes _red_ , cheeks heated to the touch, laughing to clear the air of awkwardness that has settled on his shoulders. he wants to dance, feel as free as tyler does in the moment, but he keeps his arms clutched close to his chest as he walks down the narrow corridor, light spilling onto his feet in blocks as he passes by stained glass windows.

tyler turns toward him as he approaches, grinning with sharp, crooked teeth, looking at josh like he wants to devour him whole. he’s not sure why he thinks that, exactly, but tyler steps closer, grabbing both of josh’s shoulders with firm hands, so unlike josh’s, shaking with every single second they spend here, trespassing in the dark.

“have you ever kissed someone, josh?” tyler asks, breathier and quieter than usual, and his smile dissipates, replaced with a look of nervousness that is uncommon in his usual mask of confidence and bravado.

he hesitates, twisting his fingers, eyes glancing around as if he’ll see someone crouching in the shadows, watching his every move. “uh, no,” he decides, swallowing, because he’s never found the need to lie around tyler. he doesn’t call him his best friend for nothing, after all.

“do you want to?” comes tyler’s voice, sounding a million miles away, even though his hands are still placed tight on josh’s shoulders, holding him in place, eyes wide and possibly scared. “kiss someone, i mean.”

“why are we here?” josh mumbles, carefully stepping around the subject, squirming uncertainly under the scrutiny of tyler’s gaze. “we should leave. we’re not supposed to be here.”

tyler is the one to falter, this time, and his hands disappear; he moves away into the shadows, stalking away down the rest of the corridor, leaving josh to follow in his wake.

“tyler,” josh calls after him, apprehensively, but he receives no answer. he trips over his feet, again, struggling to maintain his balance; tyler plops himself down in one of the pews at the front, head turned toward the front of the church, where a cross hangs upon the wall.

josh settles next to him, shifting on the uncomfortable wood. he can’t decide what to do with his hands, exactly, so he folds them modestly in his lap, gazing upon the cross.

it feels as if god himself is watching him, at that moment. there’s the uncomfortable sensation of eyes on the back of his head, but when he looks, there’s nothing there, hiding in the darkness.

he looks to tyler, now – his head is bowed, eyes closed over his crossed hands and his lips are moving, but no sound comes out. praying. hm.

maybe josh should be praying, too. he glances at the cross, and then back at tyler – what should he pray for? maybe for tyler to stop acting so weird around him. _dear father_ , josh begins, swallowing awkwardly. _please let tyler stop being so weird. thank you. sorry for breaking into church. it wasn’t my idea. tyler didn’t mean anything by it. amen_.

he tilts his chin back up, wiping his sweating palms off on his jeans, and this time, tyler’s eyes are focused on him, glinting in the dark. “what are you praying about?” he asks, a nervous smile back on his face; he unfolds his hand, and one flutters near josh’s thigh, as if he intends to put it there. instead, he pulls back at the last minute, flopping it against the pew between them.

“nothin’,” josh mumbles, poking tyler’s shoulder. “what are you praying about?”

“for strength,” tyler responds immediately, nodding as if to assure himself.

“cool.”

not cool. strength for what? it’s not his business. don’t be nosy, josh, what would your mom say?

she’d probably yell at him for breaking into church on a friday. he chuckles quietly at that imagery, and tyler wrinkles his nose; maybe josh imagines it, but it seems like tyler just leaned in toward him.

maybe, maybe not. either way, josh can feel tyler’s breath on his face, warm and halting, a presence that certainly wasn’t there two seconds ago.

“hey, josh,” tyler whispers, and yeah, he’s a lot closer than before.

“hey, tyler,” josh whispers back, snickering, even if he doesn’t know why.

“don’t hate me.”

“why would i hate you?” josh questions, brow furrowing, but tyler’s leaning in again until there’s virtually no space between them, eyes flickering hesitantly up toward josh’s before dropping toward his lips.

he never gets an answer. instead, tyler presses his lips against josh’s, quiet and shy and unsure; josh freezes up, sitting stock still in the church pew, nervously staring at tyler’s face as he tries to figure out what exactly to do with himself.

it takes a second for him to piece everything together as to why they’re in a church in the first place, and by this time, tyler is pulling back, eyes squeezed shut as he mutters something about being _sorry_. josh chases after him, resting a careful hand on his knee as he moves back toward tyler, smacking a fluttering, soft kiss against his lips.

“okay,” tyler says when josh pulls away, faces inches away from each other, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“okay,” josh echoes, an ear-splitting grin on his face. “not a bad first kiss, i guess?”

“well, i’d hope not. we should go, though. come on.” tyler’s finger slip across josh’s, interlocking together as he tugs him off of the church pew, into the darkness of the corridor.

**Author's Note:**

> @blurryfced on tumblr // @blurryfceds on twitter


End file.
